Braun Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa

Recently I was introduced to Braun’s latest innovation the “Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa”, which offers self grooming skincare experience based on the spa philosophy of “Remove and Restore”. Promising to be the most efficient wet and dry epilation system in the market; which removes unwanted hair whilst its refining brush exfoliates and restores the skin’s natural radiance, SkinSpa sure sounds like the answer to any fair maiden’s self grooming needs. In the spirit of “taking the bull by the horns” I took the SkinSpa for a couple of test-drives and here’s my personal review of the product and the services it renders.

First Impression: Opening my brand new SkinSpa package I was excited as well as skeptical. The first thought that came to my mind was how many skincare services are going to covered in the menu of this smart-self-grooming-device. Going through the contents of the SkinSpa box I was more than thrilled to find out that it is a truly multi-purpose-wonder-gadget rather than being a usual one-service-&-thank-you-device.

SkinSpa Skincare Menu: Let’s briefly take a look at some of the skincare services neatly converged into the SkinSpa package:

• Epilation: Pulling hair directly from the roots gives you an epilation experience that is long lasting and satisfactory. I personally enjoyed 4 weeks of silky smooth no-hair skin. (Hair re-growth varies from person to person averaging: 4-6 weeks).

• Shaving: Removes the shortest hair stubble impossible to remove by waxing or plucking, leaving your skin with the most clean and smooth feel possible.

• Trimming: For those who don’t want to remove all hair, especially around the sensitive areas “the trim” choice is available along with pluck or shave.

• Sonic Bristle Massage: Gentle massage with the sonic brush helps improve skin circulation and also eliminates toxins trapped in skin.

• Product Uptake Enhancement: Creams and lotions applied to the skin after treating it with the sonic brush are absorbed more readily because of the improved circulation and lack of dead skin retarding product absorption.

• Exfoliation: All girls are going to say “Thank You Braun!!” for the addition of this great new feature!!! Bye bye dry rough skin and hello silky smooth contours. Exfoliation is a magical word that caters to so many skin needs. Proper exfoliation can help you unlock the realm of perfectly smooth skin and complexion in as little as 6-8 weeks.

Exfoliation Under The DermaScope: Let look at the benefits of exfoliation:

o   Relieves rough dry skin by removing the upper layer of dead skin.

o   Relieves ingrown hair: It’s important to exfoliate regularly to keep skin smooth, glowing and healthy, and to also help prevent ingrown hairs. 

Braun InGrown Hair Relief Tip: If you suffer from ingrown hair, exfoliate two to three times a week with the Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa and apply tea tree oil, which has antibactierial properties, to prevent infection and reduce inflammation.

o   Relieves keratosis pilaris (small dark pin-tag like growths on upper arm)

o   Removes black heads and white heads when used on the face, chest and upper back.

o   Helps removes dark uneven colored patches and improves complexion

o   Makes skin look more clear and radiant

o   Enhances product (creams & lotions) absorption

Now that we have acquainted ourselves to the SkinSpa's services menu it’s time to dig deeper and find out more about the technology.

Braun SkinSpa Epilator – Wet and Dry Epilator

• Skin Spa epilator head epilator consists of 40 uniquely placed Close-Grip tweezers and removes the shortest hairs that wax can’t remove (upto 0.5mm), and can be used wet or dry.

Hair is removed at the root, resulting in hair-free skin up to 4 weeks
For maximum benefit: Use epilator head a few days after exfoliation to ensure skin has time to recover from exfoliation and all in-grown hair have surfaced.

Exfoliation Brush –Sonic Technology

• Operates at over 3,000 micro-vibrations per minute to remove dead skin cells and refine and improve the skin’s appearance, revealing younger looking skin that glows with natural vitality.

SkinSpa’s exfoliation attachment gives four times better results than a manual exfoliation scrub alone. By reinvigorating your circulation and stimulating dull, lifeless skin, you’ll emerge feeling smooth, conditioned and thoroughly pampered.

Comparing Braun SkinSpa To Other Hair Removal Methods: Waxing & Shaving:

• SkinSpa usage is easy, quick and non messy compared to waxing. It can be used whenever and wherever without any planning and mess. Wet and dry mode makes it more flexible than any other device.

• It plucks out shortest hair upto 0.5mm, which can’t be removed by waxing. The shaving/epilation combined feature leaves you much more smooth results compared to waxing.

• Epilation leaves you hair free for weeks compared to the shaving.

• No razor cuts and no risk of folliculitis and infections that usually ensue shaving.

• The regular use of SkinSpa’s brush exfoliation feature prevents ingrown hair a problem commonly associated with waxing and shaving.

Conclusion: Braun Silk-épil SkinSpa marks a true revolution in epilation technologies providing women with an entirely new skincare regimen – epilation and exfoliation combined in one device.

Personally having tried and tested SkinSpa I concur it delivers results comparable to a salon professional treatment in the comfort of your own bathroom or bedroom. SkinSpa in my opinion is much more than an epilator! Ladies brace yourself Braun Silk Epil Skin Spa is the ultimate muti-tasking personal-grooming must-have device that every skin savvy girl needs in her grooming closet.

Hair Diaries - Best Kept Hair Secrets

We all want our hair to look its best. There are hundreds of products available, from straightening sprays to leave-in conditioners - but what really does make a difference to our hair?

Protect Shine With Lukewarm Water

Hot water can strip the protective oils that act as a natural conditioner. And your hair's natural shine can disappear. This doesn't mean you have to suffer through cold showers to avoid dull hair. Instead, use lukewarm water to wash your hair. Pamper the scalp by massaging it while you shampoo.

Skip High-Powered Blow Dryers

When you shower, water gets inside each strand of hair. When you power up the hair dryer, all that moisture heats up and expands, and this pushes the hair fibers apart leaving open spaces. Those spaces make hair weaker and more susceptible to damage. Style hair on low heat or on cool setting to prevent the heat related damage.

Mend Split Ends With Protein

If you often style your hair with hot tools -- or you color, bleach, or perm -- you can damage hair's protective outer layer. The result is "split ends." Thankfully, there are hair products to help mend the damage.

Look for conditioners with protein. They sink into the hair shaft and repair split ends. The fix only lasts until the next shampoo, so you'll need to use them regularly.

Boost Thin Hair With Silicone

Thin, lifeless hair is a common complaint, yet few women know the best remedy. Heavy conditioners will  just leave your hair limp. A better bet is to use products with silicone, such as dimethicone or cyclomethicone. These coat the strands with a thin film, creating fuller hair that doesn't look greasy. The silicone stays put even after you rinse.

Brush Less to Limit Hair Loss

Don't believe that myth about 100 brush strokes a day. Too much brushing will snap off hairs. Some hair loss is normal – most people lose 50 to 100 hairs every day. These have stopped growing and have reached a resting stage. To keep from losing any more hair than normal, use a brush with ball-tipped bristles. And never brush wet hair, use a comb instead.

Take Care With Tightly-Wound Hair

Ponytails and braids are great way to showcase your personal style. But when they're too tight, they can break off hair and damage the roots. Wearing a tight style around the clock can even make your hair fall out. Set your hair free every night! For braided styles meant to last months, leave hair a little loose at the scalp. If you wear heavy extensions, give your hair a break after three months.

Use Gentle Color to Cover Grays

Hair doesn't just change color as we get older – it also becomes weaker and grows more slowly. That means damaged hair won't be snipped off as quickly by haircuts. Chemicals used on "mature" hair should be weaker to avoid damage.

Avoid Extreme Color Changes

Perhaps you're a brunette who always wanted to be a blonde, or a blonde who wants to go darker. Be aware that you're risking damage to your hair with more extreme color changes. Some dermatologists recommend staying within three shades of your natural color.

Calm Frizz

Humidity gets the rap for causing frizzy hair days. But there's more static electricity when the air is dry. This means frizz also flies in winter months and in the desert climates. Use conditioner to stop static electricity. Shampoos that are pH-balanced also can calm the frizz for hair that's colored or relaxed with chemicals.

Don't Treat Dandruff With Oils

Dandruff is not a type of dry skin at all -- despite the white flakes that float down to your shoulders. Dandruff is a scalp infestation with a fungus called Malassezia furfur. Rubbing oil into the scalp can just make it worse.

Shampoos with anti fungal medicine are the best fix -- from a drugstore or a dermatologist. Leave the shampoo on for 5 minutes to soak into your scalp. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Eat Fish and Nuts for Healthy Hair

The same nutritious foods that are good for your body promote stronger, healthier hair. Load up on salmon and nuts! Their protein and omega-3 fats help create a healthier scalp. Leafy vegetables, beans, and carrots are also good for your tresses.

Beware of fad diets aimed at quick weight loss. They can starve your body of important nutrients, which can lead to brittle hair or hair loss.

All Acne Bacteria Are Not Created Equal

Certain Strains Of Acne Bacteria May Actually Protect The Skin

The bacteria that cause acne live on everyone's skin, yet one in five people is lucky enough to develop only an occasional pimple over a lifetime. What's the secret?

The results of a study published in the Feb. issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology indicates that a strain of Propionibacterium acnes may contain properties that protect the skin from harmful bacteria.

Investigators from the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, examined P. acnes bacteria from 49 patients with acne and 51 subjects with clear skin. After extracting microbial DNA, researchers followed a genetic marker to identify bacterial strains and assess whether the patient suffered from acne.

After UCLA researchers isolated more than 1,000 strains of bacteria, scientists with Washington University sequenced genomes of 66 P. acnes strains to enable researchers to then target genes unique to each strain.

Two unique strains were found in one out of five patients with acne, but these strains were rare in subjects with clear skin, researchers noted. A third strain of P. acnes was common in healthy skin, but was rarely found in those patients who had acne.

“We suspect that this strain contains a natural defense mechanism that enables it to recognize attackers and destroy them before they infect the bacterial cell,” said Huiying Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at UCLA.

Investigators plan to next explore whether a probiotic cream could block “bad” bacteria from invading the skin and help to prevent acne breakouts.

Acne affects a majority of population at some point in their lives, yet scientists know little about what causes the disorder and have made limited progress in developing new strategies for treating it. Dermatologists' arsenal of anti-acne tools — benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics and Accutane (isotretinoin) — hasn't expanded in decades. Most severe cases of acne don't respond to antibiotics, and Accutane can produce serious side effects we are in a dire need of a new treatment option for acne in derma circles.